Independence Day!

 

 Forget talking about how much you can bench or how many reps you can do. How about how many books you're reading and how many pages you're getting through each day?

 Before embarking on this journey to adopt a healthier lifestyle, I was reading a few pages here and there—maybe a chapter a week if it was a good week. That was about it. I had a pile of half-read books and another pile of books I had barely started. Now I'm finishing every book I pick up, and it feels fantastic.

 I started with topics I knew would hold my attention. These days, I'm digging deeper into books that help me learn more about myself, who I am, where I came from—my roots. It's important for us as a people to seek knowledge of self because it can be incredibly empowering.

 I've got to tell you, after sitting around for as long as I did, I started to lose touch with who I really was. I had no idea what I was truly capable of. I carried around an illusion of what I could and couldn't do, but that's all it was—an illusion. You don't really know what you're capable of until you get up off your ass, step outside your comfort zone, and start pushing your limits.

 One thing I'm especially pleased about is that when I chose to adopt a healthier lifestyle, I didn't limit it to exercise or healthy eating. I wanted the complete package.

 Think about it. If you get your car detailed, do you only clean the outside? Of course not. You do the interior too. And what good is a beautifully detailed car if the engine is shot?

 That's how I look at health. Physical fitness is important, but so is taking care of your mind. I can definitely feel the difference all the daily reading has made. If we neglect our mental health, we're doing ourselves a huge disservice.

 I read this entire book in less than an hour because it was fairly short. I already knew a great deal about Pedro Albizu Campos from studying some of his work during my years as an activist. Both of my parents actually met Pedro. My mother told me stories about him visiting the house where she was living, and my father shared stories as well, since a couple of my uncles participated in the fight for Puerto Rico's independence.

 It was a great read and inspired me to search for more books on the same topic.

Brain training!